A former member of the Ethereum Foundation, Kayleen Fulton, has filed a lawsuit against the Foundation, its co-founder Vitalik Buterin, and four others, alleging wrongful termination under controversial circumstances. Known within the Ethereum community as Nixo, Fulton claims her dismissal resulted from disclosing a cancer diagnosis and spearheading an internal protest letter.
Legal Allegations Detailed
Fulton’s complaint, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado on November 4th, outlines her role as the leader of the Foundation’s protocol support team. According to court documents, Chief Co-Executive Bastian Aue terminated Fulton’s employment on April 6, just 13 days after she went public with her health condition. Fulton’s claims extend to Vitalik Buterin, implicating him in enforcing the disputed directive as a board member.
Fulton argues her termination constitutes discriminatory retaliation and interference with medical leave rights, seeking compensation for lost wages. She expressed the sentiment succinctly in a statement, saying,
“Although we support the new framework’s objectives, coercing employees into approval to keep their jobs is unacceptable.”
Internal Protest and Subsequent Impact
Together with colleague Trent Van Epps, Fulton organized a letter contesting the mandatory endorsement of a new internal directive. With 53 signatories, the letter supported the directive’s general aims but opposed making employee consent a condition of continued employment.
Shortly thereafter, both Fulton and Van Epps were terminated on April 6, within 30 minutes of each other. The complaint notes some employees objected to the directive’s language, including the term “ritual suicide,” which Aue reportedly described as metaphorical.
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The Foundation’s Rebuttal
In a letter dated May 14 included in the lawsuit, an attorney for Ethereum Asia Pacific Limited, a Singaporean affiliate of the Foundation, denied any illegal conduct or retaliation in Fulton’s case, maintaining that the separation agreement remains binding.
“Acting on behalf of Ethereum Asia Pacific Limited, we affirm there was no unlawful action or retaliation against Fulton, and the signed separation agreement is valid,” the letter states.
Neither party has released additional statements regarding the lawsuit. Requests for comment directed to Fulton, Van Epps, and the Ethereum Foundation went unanswered by the time of publication.
